Equalizing draft-gear.



No. 665,382. Patented lan. l, |90I.

C. M. CARNAHAN.

EUUALIZING DRAFT GEAR.

(Applica-ion led Fb. 28, 1900.

(No Model.)

OYRUS M. OARNAHAN, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IENATIONAL ROLLED STEEL OAR COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYL- VANIA.

EQUALIZING DRAFT-G EAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,382, dated January1, 1901.

Apprenti@ flied February 2s, 1900. serial No. 6,887. No modela To allwhom t may concern: bolts and fifth-wheel and tending to perma-` Beitknown that I, OYRUS M. OARNAHAN, a nently impair the eiiciency of thevarious citizen of the United States, residing at Alparts. To remedythis defect, I have pro- 55 legheny, in the county of Allegheny andState vided a bracing mechanism consisting of lon- 5 of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new gitudinal tension members, as rods 5, conanduseful Improvementsin'EqualizingDraftnected at one extremity to theframing-tim- Gear, of which the followingisaspecification, bers of thecar, as shown at points 6, which reference being had to the accompanyingpoints are as remote as practicable from the 6o' drawings, forming partof this specification, trucksto Whichthe opposite ends of the tension 1oin whichmembers 5 are connected. These opposite Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional view of ends of the tension members, as shown inFig. the lower framework of a car and showing l, are joined by bolts orrivets 7 to a clevis 8, the application of my improved draft-equalhavingan engagement with the king-bolt 3, 65 izing apparatus.Fig.2isasimilarview illussucharrangeinent permitting of free move- I5trating a modified construction. Fig. 3 is a ment of the truck on curvedtracks Without partial similar view showing a still further exertingundue strain on the tension memmodification. Fig. 4is a similar viewwherebers. At any point in its length each of the in the truss membersdo not cross at the midtension members 5 is provided with a turn- 7odle, but are connected at points more adjabuckle 9, by which it may beadjusted, the

2o cent to the truss. Fig. 5 is a perspective deturnbuckles beingpreferably provided with tail view showing the central rod clampinglock-nuts 10 to prevent loosening. At a point and supporting device.midway of the car, Where the tension mem- My invention relates to theconstruction of bers cross each other, they are secured to- 75 railwayand other cars; and it consists in the gether by clamps 11, the rodsbeing bent, as

z5 application thereto of speciallyarranged shown at 12, Fig. 4, orstraight, if desired, draft-equalizing apparatus by which the pullso asto pass each other on the same plane, ing strain is equally distributedthroughout and the inner faces of the clamps, which conthe framing andwith relation to the runningsist of two side plates held together bybolts, 8o gear. are provided with grooves 13, corresponding 3o Aparticular object of the invention is to to the positions of the rodsand adapted to provide means for connecting the trucks with providesuitable clearance therefor. This the main framework of the carin such amanclam p is supported by an upwardly-projectner that the pulling strainof the draft-gear ing hook 14 in engagement with a cross-bar 85 will becommunicated to the running-gear, so 15, incorporated with theframework, or in 35 as to obviate the unequal strains thereon, any othersuitable or preferred manner. This and in general to provide a stiiferarrange` construction provides a support for the tenment thanheretofore, while at the same time sion members, prevents sagging, andadds permitting of the usual radial movement of stiffness to the entireconstruction by assem- 9o the trucks with relation to the car-body.bling the tension members and forms, in ef- 4o Referring now to thedrawings, 2 2 are the fect, a double-sided truss.

usual bolsters of the truck-frame, with which, In Fig. 2 I have shown,in addition to the by the king-bolt 3 and fifth-wheel 4, pivotalconstruction just described, supplementary connection is made betweenthe trucks and tension members 16, connected to the clevis 95 the mainbody portion of the car. 8 at the opposite side, projecting upwardly 45As usually constructed the pulling strain and forwardly and attached tothe framingof the draft-gear is imparted to the trucks timbers at 17,these members also being prothrough the king-bolt only and by the merevided with turnbuckles 9. These supplemenaction of gravity, and in sucha connection, tary tension members 16 serve toimpart move- 10oespecially in cases of sudden movement or ment directly from the forwardend of the car 5o jarring or on upgrades, the normal relation to theforward truck and are of advantage of the car-body to the trucks isdisturbed, and assistance as auxiliaries to the main tenthrowing anexcessive strain on the kingsion members. In Fig. 3 the sainearrangement is illustrated, but attachment is made with the spring-boardI8 of the trucks, thus obviating the necessity of attaehm en t with theking-bolt.

It is to be noted that Where the su pplementary members 16 are employedtheir upper portions should be deected laterally, so as to provideclearance for the draft-gear. By this construction it will be seen thatthe tension of the draft-gear will be imparted from the car-fra` mingthrough the tension members directly to the trucks, thus rendering themindependent. of such transmission through the king-bolt.

In Figs the tension members do not cross each other. but are connectedto the framingtimbers near the middle of the car, their operation andfunction being similar in all respects to the construction alreadydescribed.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications in detailmaybe made without departing from myinvention-as, for in stance, by thesubstitution of other forms or constructions of the tension members ortheir attachments for those which I have shown and described-and allsuch changes and variations I desire to include within the scope of theclaims.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art, as it provides asim ple, cheap, and eicient remedy for aserious defect now present in the usual construct-ion of this class ofrolling-stock.

What I claim is- 1. Equalizing mechanism for cars consisting of rigidtension members secured at one end to the car-framing and at the otherend to the under central portion of the truck, substantially as setforth.

2. Equalizing mechanism for cars consisting of tension members securedat their ends to the car-framing, and at their other ends to the trucks,and crossing each other intermediate of their ends, substantially as setforth.

3. Equalizing mechanism for cars consisting of rigid tension memberssecured at one end to the car-framing and at the other to the truck,provided with an intervening adjusting device, substantially as setforth.

4. Equalizing mechanism for cars, consisting of tension members securedat their ends to the car-framing, at their opposite ends to the trucks,crossing each other and connected by a clamp rigidly supported from thecarbody, substantially as set forth.

5. Equalizil'lg mechanism for cars, consisting of rigid tension membersconnected at their ends to the car-framing and their other ends to theinner under side of the trucks, under supplementary members similarlyconnected to the car-framing and to the outer side of the trucksrespectively, substantially as set forth.

(5. Equalizing mechanism for cars, consisting of rigid tension membersconnected at their ends to the car-framing and their other ends to theinner under side of the trucks, under snpplemen tary members similarlyconnected to the car-framing and to the other side of the trucksrespectively, each of the tension members having an adjusting deviceintermediate of its length, substantially as set forth.

7. In mechanism of the class described, a rigid tension member connectedat one end of the car-framing and at the other to a clevis in engagementwith the king-bolt of the truck substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CYRUS M. CARNAHAN.

Witnesses:

PETER J. EDWARDS, C. M. CLARKE.

